A vitrectomy is a surgical procedure to remove some or all of the vitreous humor from the eye. FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional vitrectomy surgical system 100, which includes a base housing 102 and an associated display screen 104, typically used to show data relating to system operation and performance during a vitrectomy surgical procedure. The surgical system 100 further includes a vitrectomy cutter system 110 that includes a vitrectomy cutter 112. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the vitrectomy cutter system 110 includes the vitrectomy cutter 112, a pneumatic pressure source 120, a cutter driver (shown as an adjustable directional on-off pneumatic driver 122), a muffler 124 and a controller 126. The source 120, driver 122, muffler 124, and the cutter 112 are in fluid communication with each other (shown along lines representing flow paths or flow lines). The controller 126 is in electrical communication with the driver 122.
As shown in FIG. 4, the conventional prior art vitrectomy cutter 112 is a pneumatically driven cutter that operates by receiving pneumatic pressure alternating through first and second ports 140 and 142. The cutter 112 has a cutting portion 150, which includes an outer cutting tube 152, an inner cutting tube 154, and a reciprocating air-driven diaphragm 156, all partially encased by a housing 158. The housing 158 includes an end piece 160 at the cutter's proximal end with the first and second air supply ports 140, 142 and one suction port 162.
The cutting portion 150 extends from the housing 158 and includes a distal end 166. FIG. 5 shows the distal end 166 of the cutting portion 150 in greater detail. As shown, the inner cutting tube 154 fits within the outer cutting tube 152 in a coaxial manner, and the inner cutting tube 154 is axially moveable relative to the outer cutting tube 152. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outer cutting tube 152 has a closed end 164 and an outer port 168 that receives tissue, such as ophthalmic tissue. The outer port 168 is in fluid communication with an inner channel 170 of the outer cutting tube 152. As shown, port 168 is typically oval shaped and is configured to cooperate with the inner cutting tube 154 to cut tissue during an ophthalmic surgery. The distal and proximal edges of port 168 may be sharpened to aid in the cutting of the vitreous. As shown, extending from inner cutting tube 154, is a connector 194 which is tipped with a cutting blade 208 having respective distal and proximal cutting edges 216, 218.
Conventional vitrectomy cutters, such as vitrectomy cutter 112, employ a single port, such as port 168, on a single side of the outer cutting tube. However, in some procedures, the surgeon may be assisted by having access to multiple ports, which would remove the necessity of the surgeon rotating the vitrectomy device to align the port in a desired radial direction, as may be necessary. Rather than providing the surgeon with separate vitrectomy cutters, one with only a single port and one with multiple ports, dependent upon the particular surgical procedure, it would obviously be desirable to have a single device which may be used in either a single port mode or a multiple port mode. Thus, a multiport vitrectomy cutter solving the aforementioned problems is desired.